The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) Equity Innovation Program (EIP) provides additional resources to historically underserved entrepreneurs (women, BIPOC or those from historically under-resourced/-represented communities). These small business founders gain additional coaching and mentorship with industry experts in zero emission transportation, renewable energy and circular economy sectors; business support services such as accounting, legal, and marketing; access to much needed capital; and technical guidance on how to grow and scale their businesses. EIP also helps founders develop and launch new pilots as proof points on the path to commercialization.

In February 2023, LACI selected 16 companies to join EIP Cohort 2. EIP Cohort 2 comprises 78% women - an increase of 32% over Cohort 1. We’ve also diversified participants in Cohort 2, with 25% Latinx founders, 18% Black founders, 7% South East Asian Founders, 3% East Asian Founders, South Asian Founders and Black Latinx founders. These companies are a mix of startups and small businesses at different stages of development with different challenges. With the support of LA2050 Grant funds, we hosted a series of brainstorming, networking and learning sessions called charrettes to support founders with the design, development and launch of their community pilots.

EIP charrette discussion topics included how to create a growth strategy and leveraging cross-collaboration. In LACI’s 12 years of experience working with founders, we’ve found that in an attempt to secure a wide target audience or customer segment to sustain their business, founders can quickly become overwhelmed with too many customer segments and too many strategies to implement. With limited time, money and resources, it becomes difficult for them to effectively strategize growth and critically, to successfully integrate a plan to scale into their existing business processes.

Additionally, cross-collaboration with other companies creates stronger pilots that help multiple companies maximize the impact of the Equity Innovation Program. Before founders can begin their pilot development process, LACI’s team helps to ensure that their businesses have a solid foundation. The charrettes helped founders to consider the best metrics of success for their pilot programs - which they also revised with guidance from their business coaches.

LACI is proud of our founders’ successes! Here are a few highlights from the EIP Cohort 2 company community pilot projects:

Cafecita Coffee: In partnership with another LACI company, Onyx Power, Cafecita Coffee will launch its first physical location, a solar-powered coffee cart in Glassell Park. The cart is mobile,

which will allow the company to participate in events throughout Los Angeles, including the upcoming Malibu Half Marathon, where Cafecita will be the official event coffee vendor.

Circular Fashion LA: Developed a sewing and circular fashion lab at the LA Kretz Innovation Campus that will help to keep more clothes from becoming textile waste and will help to train LACI Green Jobs Fellowship participants to enter the circular economy and circular fashion industries.

L & F Project Management: Connected with other LACI companies to build out a project management tool and service curated for LACI cleantech companies to support EVSE deployment roadmaps, repair and maintenance, and data analytics. 

Rag Reserve: Developed a partnership with Goodwill SoCal to upcycle outfits with clothing sourced from their stores. Rag Reserve also partnered with other EIP founders, Irene Diaz and Carolyn Cardoza, who modeled the outfits for cross-promotion collaboration.

IMA Blends: Successfully launched their first Kickstarter campaign. IMA Blends raised $10,000, which will allow them to produce their first test batch of IMA Blends Nutrition Bites for customers.

Irene Diaz Music: Performed at South by Southwest and the Hollywood Bowl. Furthermore, Irene Diaz and Carolyn Cardoza made appearances and performed on national television.

Kit Switch: Developed a pilot to sell 5 Kit-Kitchens to an affordable housing developer, and integrate the Kit-Kitchens into project floor plans and specifications. The general contractor of the housing development project will coordinate delivery and installation of the Kit-Kitchens using a digital twin and process model.

Shred Cycle: Developed a pilot to source polyurethane manufacturing waste from old and worn skateboard wheels to produce and deploy recycled TPU material in four different applications (products) with successful end-use applications, secured customers, and engaged partners in Southern CA.

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator is looking forward to continuing to support these founders on their journey to commercialization. LACI is excited to see the growth of these founders beyond the program.. In 2024, LACI will launch Cohort 3 of the Equity Innovation Program, and it is our mission to have a continued impact for entrepreneurs who experience barriers. We are honored and grateful to the Goldhirsh Foundation and LA2050 for sharing our vision for an inclusive green economy for the people of Los Angeles and for providing LACI with the opportunity to fund key components of this program.